Talk show host Ricki Lake left Dancing with the Stars a big winnerÂ—no, the 43-year-old contestant did not snag the mirror ball trophy, but she gained a 25 pound weight loss. Most women would call that a huge win. Daily Mail reports on the celeb’s winner attitude.

“I might have lost the trophy, but I got a tiny waist,” Ricki Lake gushed in an interview. “I was on the Derek Hough [weight loss] diet and it works. I lost 20lbs to 25lbs and I went down two sizes.”

Ricki refers to the dance pro who served as her partnerÂ—a several time previous winner who throws unbelievable energy and enthusiasm, not to mention talent, into his dancing. Many fans thought Ricki Lake and Derek were the overall best dancing pair, but the show is nothing if not a popularity contest, and J.R. Martinez was unbeatable. Deservedly so.

But Ricki was no loser. Beyond the joy of weight loss, she picked up on something possibly even more importantÂ—a new job. The former talk show host is now again a talk show host, on the new Ricki Lake Show set to air in September. And the job may well be due to the weight loss, since a trim body is pretty important (Oprah was an exception) in the talk show biz.

Now comes the really hard part. Can she keep it off, without daily sessions with Derek Hough? Stay tuned.